Hundreds of people gathered in Houston Sunday to celebrate news of the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader.

Members of Houston’s Iranian American community held what they called a freedom celebration on the same streets where they have been calling for change for months.

Several people told KHOU 11 they never knew if they would see the possibility of a leadership change in their lifetime.

Cheers, dancing and a chorus of car horns filled the sidewalks for hours near the Galleria.

“We are just showing our happiness,” Amy said.

Amy was among the large crowd at Sunday’s celebration. Many attendees said they are now hopeful for change in Iran’s leadership.

“I don’t think the world knows how big of an event this is,” Brian Taef said. “Looking five years, 10 years down the road, this will be a history-defining moment.”

Taef spoke with KHOU 11 while holding an American flag. Throughout the gathering, people waved American, Israeli and pre-revolution Iranian flags.

“The lion and sun is basically saying we want to go back to the glory days,” Taef said.

Some participants held signs calling for a free Iran, while others expressed gratitude toward former President Donald Trump.

“Israel and President Trump took the biggest step, but it’s not done. It’s not done,” Eden said.

Many attendees said they hope recent developments could lead to broader political change.

“We are hoping for a regime change in Iran,” Elham said.

That sentiment was echoed by several people who said they would like to see Iran’s exiled Crown Prince, Reza Pahlavi, return to lead the country.

“We are a very peaceful nation — not the regime, but the people are very peaceful,” said Shahpar Razmzan with the National Union for Democracy in Iran.

“We are done with the Islamic Republic. We don’t want the ideology. We want peace with the world,” Eden said.

“If you remove that domino of terror and death and replace it with peace, that effect could be exponential — not just for the region, but for the globe,” Taef added.

It remains unclear who will ultimately take control of Iran’s government. For now, a three-person council is overseeing leadership decisions and has vowed to name a new Supreme Leader in the coming days, while President Donald Trump has urged the Iranian people to take back their country.

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